The ball started rolling when an MTSU Phonathon student called Mary Neal Alexander
(B.S. '41) for a pledge.

She committed $100 and mailed in $1,000. Later, she raised her contribution to $10,000,
then established an endowed scholarship of $30,000. Now Alexander is taking it to
a higher level.

Could it be that she still feels a strong connection to the Middle Tennessee State
Teachers College from the late 1930s because of its commitment, even then, to students?

"The teachers who were there when I was there … they had our best interests at heart.
I don't think it was a matter of just grinding us out like a sausage mill,"; said
the home-demonstration and home-economics major. "They cared about us.";

Alexander lived in what's now the Percy Priest Lake area and was home-schooled as
a child. After high school, her mother sent her to what was then David Lipscomb College,
at that time a two-year school.

"My mother was determined that I get an education,"; Alexander said. "I had an eye
problem, and the doctor told me not to go back to school for a year. After that time,
I came to Murfreesboro. All the dorm rooms were taken.

"Someone told me about a new teacher coming in and said that I could stay in her
house. … It turned out she was the head of the home-economics department. I said no
way was I going to stay with her, because that's what I was majoring in!

"My mother asked me if I wanted to live at home or stay with the new teacher,"; Alexander
continued. "That settled that. Ms. (Carrie) Hodges and I became the best of friends,
until her death many years later.";

The State Teachers College didn't offer courses in home management, Alexander's primary
area of interest. "But I really got that training living with her,"; Alexander recalled
of her mentor.

Later, the department was renamed Family and Consumer Science. "Sounds more fancy,";
Alexander quipped.

After graduation from college, Alexander was one of three women recruited by the
UT Extension Service. She spent the next 31 years helping people in rural areas get
electricity and learn how to use electric stoves, refrigerators and freezers. She
helped farmers install and operate electric milk coolers and, later, she stuffed cotton
mattresses.

"Food, clothing and shelter, that what's we dealt with—those would always be necessities,";
she explained. "My title was 'home demonstration agent,' and I did that for about
20 years in three different counties. Then I was transferred from Sumner County to
Cookeville and became supervisor of 15 counties in the Upper Cumberland District.";

A scholarship made possible by Alexander's generosity will be available to "the underdog,";
as she puts it, and not just to students with a high GPA.

"There are some people who can do things with their hands, but they don't have the
ability to put it on paper,"; Alexander said thoughtfully. "They freeze.";

Alexander's advice to students who go to college is to get involved in everything
MTSU has to offer.

"Be a part of everything that you can possibly do,"; she said, "but don't let your
outside activities interfere with your class time. Your classwork must come first.";

Joe Bales, vice president for development and university relations, said Alexander's
gift is "yet another example of the good will that MTSU has tried to preserve with
our alumni and friends.

"The endowment and what it will do for countless students are invaluable. The relationships
that come out of these kinds of connections are just as wonderful. We are grateful
to Mary Neal Alexander for honoring her alma mater with this gift.";

A gift of friendship also has emerged from Alexander's partnership with Development
and University Relations. She and Lucie Murphy Burchfield, a development director,
have become pals.

"I invited her to my wedding and I've cooked some of her recipes,"; Burchfield said.
"I just think she's wonderful, and she's had a wonderful life. She did good things
in her work and in her personal life. I love being around her.";

FRIENDLY VISIT—MTSU Alumna Mary Neal Alexander, left, poses for a photo with a good
friend, Lucie Murphy Burchfield of the university's Development Office, during a recent
visit to Alexander's Nashville home. Alexander, a member of the Class of 1941 and
a longtime home-demonstration agent for the University of Tennessee Extension Service,
has expanded her $100 scholarship pledge into an endowed scholarship for MTSU students.

Something for everyone—from Baby Raiders to Golden Raiders—will be on tap for MTSU's
2010 Homecoming, culminating with the Saturday, Oct. 23, football game against Louisiana-Monroe
in Floyd Stadium.

Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. for the Sun Belt Conference game.

Of special interest earlier in the day will be the 25th anniversary celebration for
the Center for Popular Music from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in the John Bragg Mass Communication
Building.

Student homecoming activities will include:

the Fight Song competition for student organizations on Wednesday, Oct. 20, at 7 p.m.
in Murphy Center;

the National Pan-Hellenic Council Step Show, which will be held in Murphy Center on
Friday, Oct. 22, starting at 7 p.m.;

the Homecoming Parade, featuring Grand Marshal Lane Davies, an alumnus of the Class
of 1972, starting at 11 a.m. on Saturday. The parade begins on Maney Avenue, follows
East Main Street to Middle Tennessee Boulevard and ends at Greenland Drive; and

the crowning of the Homecoming Queen and King, elected during the Oct. 5-7 Student
Government Association voting.

Children and grandchildren of alumni, employees, students and friends of the university
are invited to participate in the parade by walking, being pulled in a stroller or
wagon or riding a tricycle in the Baby Raider Ride Contest. Baby Raiders must be accompanied
by an adult and will enter the parade at the Alumni House.

Three divisions—alumni and friends, restaurants and students—will compete in the
Chili Cook-Off on Friday, Oct. 22, starting at 5 p.m. in the Murphy Center Forest.

Alumni activities include:

the Golden Raider Reunion and Induction Ceremony on Friday, starting at 2 p.m., where
the Class of 1960 will be saluted;

the annual Mixer on Middle Parade-Watching Party Saturday starting at 10 a.m. and
featuring commentary from the "Voice of the Blue Raiders,"; Chip Walters, and fellow
alumna Nancy Van Camp of WSMV-Channel 4;

a reunion of former Sidelines staff members, set for Saturday starting at 12:30 p.m. in the Brass Mass Communication
Building;

the Alumni Reunion Tailgate Tent Oct. 23 starting at noon, along with the 1963-98
Political Science Alumni Tailgate, the Zeta Tau Alpha Alumnae/Collegiate Tailgate
and a multitude of other gatherings in Walnut Grove after the parade;

MTSU will conduct a Diversity Town Hall Meeting on Friday, Oct. 29, in the Tom Jackson
Building to continue efforts to become a diversified campus and ensure excellence
in inclusion as part of the university's Academic Master Plan.

University Provost Brad Bartel and Dr. John Omachonu, interim vice provost for academic
affairs, will moderate the discussion, scheduled for 3 to 5 p.m. in Cantrell Hall.

"MTSU is organizing a community Town Hall that seeks to cultivate a culture of engagement
and collaboration,"; Bartel said. "We hope everyone can join us in an open discussion
that can lead to action steps to achieve excellence in access and diversity at MTSU.";

Omachonu currently serves as point person for diversity at MTSU. Bartel said he and
Omachonu will be soliciting productive ideas on an issue that is "critical to the
intellectual health of our campus.";

The MTSU Masters Swim Club is collecting gently used clothing and other items through
Friday, Oct. 29, for Safe Haven Family Shelter in Nashville. Collection boxes are
located in the Recreation Center entry foyer and in Cheryl Richardson's third-floor
office at the Walker Library. For a list of needed items, contact Richardson at crichard@mtsu.edu or Pam Footit at pfootit@mtsu.edu.

Christmas comes every year, and now, so does Operation Christmas Care! Christmas
cards for our wounded soldiers are needed as desperately this year as they were four
years ago, when I first established Operation Christmas Care after learning that a
friend's son had lost both of his legs in an IED explosion in Iraq. Through his sister's
blog, I learned just how important cards and letters, with a heartfelt message of
support and encouragement, can be for our wounded warriors as they heal.

Thank you to those who have already so generously volunteered your time. I have had
several questions about this year's project and thought I would address them to all
for clarification.

spreading the word and sending information to anyone—church, school, organization—that
you think might want to be involved;

making and delivering card-drop boxes and "Pennies for Postage"; jars by Oct. 25;

distributing a flier around campus, town, organizations, etc.

If you place a card-drop box or Pennies for Postage jar in your office by creating
one yourself, please e-mail me to let me know. We want to be sure we don't miss anyone
with follow up e-mails for final drop-off and pick-up of jars and cards.

More than half of the cards sent last year were from children, so this is definitely
a project for all ages!

In addition to seeking support from the MTSU community, we are sending information
to Vanderbilt, Lipscomb, Belmont and Tennessee State universities for their help.
We've also contacted the sheriffs' departments in Rutherford, Cannon and Williamson
counties to ask their help in circulating Pennies for Postage jars and getting card-signing
projects under way in their respective school systems.

As we move forward, the volunteer needs will change, and I will be sending updates
to let everyone know where we are and what we need to do next. You can volunteer 30
minutes or 30 hours—I am sooooooooooo appreciative of any and all volunteers who come
my way!

Monetary donations besides pennies also are being accepted. Send them to me at Campus
Mail Box 82; please write "OCC"; by my name on the envelope. If you want to send a
check, please make it out to Soldier and Family Assistance Center. Any donations above
and beyond our postage needs will be sent to Judith Markelz, director of the Soldier
and Family Assistance Center in Fort Sam Houston, Texas, to buy new DVDs for the soldiers.
Her address is:

WGNS Radio kicked off publicity Oct. 10 to encourage participation in Operation Christmas
Care in the Dec. 12 Rutherford County Christmas Parade. We will be asking parade-watchers
and participants to bring a holiday card to the parade, and local Boy Scouts will
be gathering the cards along the parade route and putting them on the Operation Christmas
Care float.

On Nov. 15, at a location and time still to be finalized, we'll be making a DVD of
get-well wishes from our community to our wounded soldiers. We'll be set up to videotape
your 30- to 60-second morale-boosting message for our wounded troops. These messages
will be turned into multiple-DVD sets to be distributed to military hospitals worldwide
to boost our soldiers' morale as they endure long and painful recoveries.

On Dec. 2, all card-drop boxes will be gathered in a central location for pick-up.
All MTSU drop boxes and Pennies for Postage jars should be taken to Room 107 of Corlew
Hall. On Dec. 3, we'll pick up all cards across the region for the next day's sorting
event.

On Dec. 4, we need volunteers to help sort and package cards in the MTSU Police Department
training room beginning at 8 a.m. until we're done. (We're also looking for businesses
to donate snacks for our volunteers.) Volunteers can work in 30-minute shifts or all
day; just come when you can. If you'd like to bring a large group to help, please
let me know so we can schedule them throughout the day.

Dec. 12 will give us a chance to collect cards along the Rutherford County Christmas
Parade route and make late deliveries. After the parade, we'll need volunteers again
to help sort and package cards in the MTSU Police Department training room. We will
mail the cards the same day.

MTSU is inviting the community to be scared silly by horror movies in October, culminating
in a showing of the cult classic "Rocky Horror Picture Show"; just before Halloween.

The Student Programming Films Committee has arranged for free public performances
of frightful films like "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari"; and "Night of the Living Dead";
each Saturday through Oct. 30 in the Keathley University Center Theater.

"Rocky Horror,"; which will be presented at 10 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 28, in the
KUC Theater, has a $5-per-person admission charge.

"The Films Committee wanted to bring an alternative film experience like 'Rocky Horror
Picture Show' to the students of MTSU, rather than just a 'normal' movie,"; said Tyler
Adkins, chair of the Films Committee.

"'Rocky Horror Picture Show' used to be a long-standing tradition at MTSU, so we're
looking forward to bringing this tradition back. We also thought bringing older movies
such as 'Night of the Living Dead' was a great way to pay homage to Halloween from
a historical film perspective.";

"Rocky Horror,"; first released in 1975, is considered the longest-running release
in film history and has been playing in some theaters, especially in midnight showings,
for decades. The science-fiction/B-movie parody relates the perils of a newly engaged
couple, Brad and Janet, whose flat tire leads them to the castle of an evil scientist,
Dr. Frank N. Furter, and his friends. The musical is renowned for its enthusiastic audience participation, which often
includes dressing like the film's characters and acting out scenes.

For this special MTSU performance, the Films Committee says no squirt guns or candles
will be allowed in the theater for safety reasons. The film is rated R and is for
audiences 18 and older. Pre-sale tickets will be available at the KUC Information
Desk from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 25-28; tickets also will be available beginning at
9 p.m. at the KUC Theater box office on Oct. 28.

MTSU also has scheduled two special horror/Halloween movies for only $2 admission
per person: "Twilight: Eclipse,"; showing through Friday, Oct. 15, and "Ghostbusters,";
playing Oct. 25-29. "Twilight: Eclipse"; showings are scheduled at 7 and 10 p.m. Thursday
and 7 p.m. Friday, while "Ghostbusters"; will be shown at 7 and 10 p.m. Monday through
Wednesday and 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday.

MTSU will be talking trash in the James Union Building, not in Murphy Center or Floyd
Stadium, as the 19th Annual Tennessee Undergraduate Social Science Symposium gets
under way Nov. 2-3.

"Talking Trash: Garbage in Society and the Environment"; is the theme of this year's
symposium, which is highlighted by two special lectures:

a keynote address, "The Garbology of Us,"; on Tuesday, Nov. 2, from Dr. William L.
Rathje, founder and director of The Garbage Project in Tucson, Ariz.; and

a Senior Scholar's Lecture, "Oil Spill Déjà Vu: Social Impacts of the BP Gulf Gusher
and the Exxon Valdez Disaster,"; on Wednesday, Nov. 3, by Dr. Duane A. Gill of Oklahoma
State University.

Rathje, whose research and public presentations focus on the archaeology of modern
garbage, will speak at 6 p.m. Tuesday. Gill, who is part of a research team investigating
the human impact of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill as well as several other spills
in recent years, will speak at 12:40 p.m. on Wednesday.

Both lectures will be held in the JUB's Tennessee Room.

Program Committee Co-Chairs Dr. Meredith Dye and Dr. Brian Hinote said this year's
symposium promises to be a "lively gathering of student researchers and established
scholars"; that engages some of the most timely social and environmental issues of
contemporary American society.

"We encourage student participation from across all corners of campus and the entire
Middle Tennessee area, and in cooperation with many other faculty members and student
organizations, are working diligently to make this an enjoyable and informative campus
event by bringing leading researchers in the social sciences to MTSU,"; Hinote said.

"But the symposium is really a celebration of student research and academics,"; added
Dye, "so come and join us in early November to enjoy the various activities that we
have planned, but also to support student research as well.";

During his lecture, Rathje will explain:

what foods and drinks we most misreport consuming;

how our misunderstanding of foods affects our health;

what biodegrades and what doesn't in modern landfills and what's taking up the most
space there; and

the easiest ways to decrease what we throw away.

An interview with Rathje is scheduled to air on "MTSU On the Record"; on Sunday, Oct.
31, at 8 a.m. on WMOT-Jazz 89 and www.wmot.org.

Gill's lecture will examine the social impact of the BP gusher by comparing the community
of Bayou La Batre, Ala., with Cordova, Alaska. Both communities are renewable-resource
communities, and their social and economic recovery is tied to restoration of damaged
resources.

Also on Tuesday, a thematic panel on environmental issues and consumerism is set
for 11:30 a.m. in the Tennessee Room, and a feature documentary, "Garbage: The Revolution
Starts at Home,"; will be screened at 4:15 p.m. The film by writer/director Andrew
Nisker follows an average family as they save all the garbage they produce over three
months, then discover how their single household affects the planet.

Student research-paper presentations are scheduled throughout the two-day symposium
on a variety of social topics, including immigration, social problems, social and
cultural theory, hate crimes, race and ethnicity, Appalachian studies, health and
family, experiential learning in archaeological studies, and study abroad. All social-
science paper submissions are welcome.

The symposium is sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts, the Department of Sociology
and Anthropology, the MTSU Distinguished Lecture Series, the College of Graduate Studies,
the University Honors College, the Municipal Technical Advisory Service, Students
for Environmental Action, the MTSU Sociology Club, the Middle Tennessee Anthropology
Society and student activity fees.

All events are open to the public and are free.

For more information on the symposium, please contact Hinote at bhinote@mtsu.edu or 615-494-7914 or Dye in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at mdye@mtsu.edu or 615-898-2690. You also may visit the symposium website at www.mtsu.edu/soc/socsymp/index.shtml.

MTSU's Department of Art is continuing its successful Art Scholarship Seasonal Exhibit
and Sale with another fundraising event set for Nov. 3-4.

The exhibit and sale, begun in fall 2008 as a effort to raise funds for various scholarships
within the department, will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday,
Nov. 3 and 4.

The works included in the exhibit and sale have been collected from art department
faculty members, staff, students, alumni and friends in the community, organizers
said.

"This is our third annual sale to promote Department of Art Scholarships. It promises
to be our best yet," said Dr. Jean Nagy, department chair.

Continuing in the original vein of donors' choice, funds from the sale of each piece
will go to a scholarship fund designated by each artwork's donor.

Current art scholarships include:

the Hester Rogers Ray Scholarship for art-education students;

the Charles Massey Scholarship for second-semester studio-art majors;

the Dr. Charles Brandon Scholarship for studio-art majors;

the John and Elva Griffin Scholarship for incoming freshmen majoring in art;

the Jill Montgomery Scholarship for art-history majors;

the David LeDoux Scholarship for studio-art majors;

the Ollie Fancher Scholarship for graphic-design majors;

the Lon Nuell Scholarship for incoming freshmen majoring in art; and

the Department of Art Scholarships for art majors.

The department also will feature exhibitions of work by Bachelor of Fine Arts degree
candidates throughout November and December in the Todd Gallery. BFA Studio 1 artists
will be on exhibit Nov. 8-12, while BFA Studio 2 artists will exhibit their work Nov.
15-19 and BFA Studio 3 artists will be on exhibit Nov. 29-Dec. 3.

Opening receptions for the three exhibits are planned on each exhibit's opening day
(Nov. 8, 15 and 29) from 6 to 8 p.m. All the BFA exhibits will be open during the
Todd Gallery's regular operating hours of 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.

For more information on the scholarship exhibit and sale or the BFA degree candidates'
exhibits, call 615-898-2455.

A juried show of graphic-design students' work will be on display at MTSU's Todd
Gallery Thursday, Oct. 21, through Tuesday, Nov. 2.

The "HYPE Design Show" exhibit will showcase 73 works chosen by Latocki Team Creative,
a Nashville-based team specializing in identity creation, brand management and image
alignment. An opening reception for the exhibit is set on Oct. 21 from 4 to 5 p.m.

"The jurors and the department were impressed by the quality and number of entries,"
said Associate Professor Seth Johnson."We hope the Hype Design Show continues to grow."

The Todd Gallery is located on the second floor of MTSU's Todd Building in the heart
of campus. Gallery hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information,
call 615-898-2455.

TOP WORK!—Sally Swoape, center, executive aide for the Department of Engineering
Technology, accepts a plaque as the latest quarterly Secretarial/ Clerical Award winner
from Trina Clinton of Human Resource Services, left, chair of MTSU's Employee Recognition
Commit-tee, and ET department chair Dr. Walter Boles. The committee salutes staffers
who make outstanding contributions and demonstrate excellence in their roles. For
more information about nominating a full-time co-worker for the award program, go
to www.mtsu.edu/hrs/relations/recog.shtml.

WALKING THE 'WALK'—Members of Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity pose with MTSU President
Sidney A. McPhee, center, in front of a "Raider Walk"; lightning bolt the organization
repainted as part of a community-service project. The men worked more than three days
this summer to spruce up the symbols on pavement throughout the MTSU campus, then
painted the lightning bolts black for the Oct. 5 "Blackout"; game against Troy. They
repainted the symbols Raider blue in time for the Oct. 23 homecoming game, when athletes,
cheerleaders, the MTSU Band of Blue and fans will trek from Walnut Grove to Floyd
Stadium in the ceremonial Raider Walk at 1:15 p.m. "Painting the lightning bolts doesn't
just signify a simple community-service project,"; ATO Recruitment Chair Chris Hardman
said. "It signifies the Blue Raider pride that we have as a chapter and how we want
to spread that pride to the MTSU community.";

Faculty and staff: Please read the following script to your students and colleagues
during the "stay-in-place"; tornado drill on campus at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct.
27.

We hope this effort will prove less disruptive, but it is essential that you pause
for a few minutes to share information regarding the "safe place"; in your building
on that day at that time. Building runners will make their rounds to offer any assistance
you may need.

We appreciate your cooperation in this important effort to keep everyone as safe
as possible. If you have any questions or problems, please e-mail Tom Tozer at ttozer@mstu.edu.

"May I have your attention please …

"We are currently experiencing a tornado drill. During a tornado warning, the campus
siren will sound and, if you have registered, you will receive an emergency notification
in the form of a text message, voice alert or e-mail—or all three.

"It's important that you know where you should go for shelter in this building if
this were an actual tornado warning.

"Our 'safest place' in this location is __________. ( Go to http://bit.ly/MTSafePlaces to find your location's safe place and make note of it above to tell your listeners.)

"If it were necessary to vacate this room and go to that safe place, you would need
to:

take possessions with you;

remain calm and walk quickly to the safe place;

stay away from doorways, windows and loose or breakable objects;

as a general rule, use stairways, not elevators;

help anyone with a disability go to a safe place, which could require help from more
than one person (a person with a disability may use an elevator to reach safety);
and

remain in your safe place until an all-clear is sounded.

"Please remember these additional tips about tornado safety:

Do not pull the fire alarm during a tornado warning.

If you are outside during a tornado warning, you should seek shelter inside the nearest
building.

Do not attempt to leave campus in your car during a tornado warning.

In case of injuries in an actual emergency, call 615-898-2424 or 911.

"If you have not registered to receive emergency notifications, go to www.mtsu.edu/alert4u. Thank you.";

If any of your students or colleagues have questions about signing up for emergency
notifications, please refer them to the handy guide at http://bit.ly/MTAlerts.

David Cicotello is finding "personal excitement"; in joining the MTSU administrative
staff as associate vice provost for admissions and enrollment services.

"Being part of this enterprise has been great,"; Cicotello said. "I'm feeling welcomed,
and the hospitality extended to me does not go unnoticed.";

Cicotello left the University of Nebraska at Omaha to join MTSU after a national
search to replace longtime administrators Lynn Palmer and Sherian Huddleston. MTSU's
reorganization, via President Sidney A. McPhee's "Positioning the University for the
Future"; plan, combined various aspects of admissions, enrollment services and financial
aid, leading to changes in administrative tasks for the associate vice provost's job.

Other staffing changes within the departments include naming Stephen White as the
new financial-aid director, Teresa Thomas' switch from Records Office director to
director of enrollment technical systems and moving Cathy Kirchner to registrar from
assistant director in the scheduling center.

"What's exciting to me in the reorganization of this division (Student Affairs) and
the 'Positioning the University for the Future' is that it's not often we have these
chances,"; Cicotello said. "Plus, we have a new provost (Dr. Brad Bartel) and a new
CIO (Bruce Petryshak). I'm very excited about being here.";

Along with the personnel changes, work on the new College of Education and student-union
buildings is progressing rapidly on the east side of campus. Plans are in place for
a new student-services building that will be a one-stop shop for prospective and current
students.

"We already have the Campus Recreation Center, the Honors College building and the
new entrance (off Rutherford Boulevard) on that side,"; Cicotello said. "I'm enthusiastic
about the prospects of creating an entrance to that side of campus and making that
a positive first impression for visitors. We can show visitors 'the new MTSU' to go
along with the historical side.";

The Pennsylvania native and other MTSU administrators are in the midst of an eight-city
tour for student receptions and guidance-counselor luncheons. The one- and two-day
trips include Chattanooga, Clarksville, Lynchburg-Shelbyville, Johnson City, Knoxville,
Nashville, Jackson and Memphis.

"Our mission is to serve MTSU students and offer programs that serve students from
around the region, state and world,"; he said.

Cicotello has an English background, earning his undergraduate and master's degrees
from the University of Kansas. He did doctoral work at the University of Nebraska
at Lincoln and "was a classroom professor for years"; before venturing into higher-education
administration.

He also is a baseball writer, co-editing a book about Forbes Field, former home of
the Pittsburgh Pirates, and he recently co-authored Mysteries from Baseball's Past with Angelo J. Louisa. He's a member of the Society for American Baseball Research.

Nominations are being accepted from the MTSU community through Friday, Nov. 12, for
the Who's Who Among Students in Universities and Colleges.

"Each year, MTSU selects up to 150 students to join the prestigious Who's Who community,";
said Jacqueline Victory, director of the Office of Leadership and Service at MTSU.

"This award honors the nation's leading college students and exists as one of the
most highly regarded and long-standing honors programs in the nation. For more than
70 years, the Who's Who program has honored outstanding campus leaders for their scholastic
and community achievements.";

A university committee of faculty and students evaluate the applications, and the
top candidates are selected as MTSU's Who's Who contingent.

Minimum qualifications are:

classification as a junior, senior or graduate student;

a minimum 3.0 GPA; and

contributing significantly to MTSU and/or the outside community.

To nominate a student for this award, complete anapplication at www.mtsu.edu/leadandserve and mail it to the Office of Leadership and Service, MTSU Box 39, or bring it to
the office in Room 326-S of the Keathley University Center.

MTSU's College of Basic and Applied Sciences recently held its annual State of the
College Address for faculty, administrators, staff and invited guests to celebrate
the past year's accomplishments and look toward another bright academic year for 2010-11.

"There are a number of goals we hope to achieve in the coming year,"; Dean Tom Cheatham
said.

"We expect it to be a good year. We're excited about the new Ph.D. programs (molecular
biosciences, computational science, and mathematics and science education). We have
45 new Ph.D. students, which is amazing for the first year.";

In addition to hoped-for successful starts with doctoral programs and MTeach, the
college's primary goals include:

securing funding for a new science building; • working to improve retention and graduation statistics;

improving extramural funding;

solidifying the aerospace department's partnerships with ITT/NextGen and ISR Group;

ring a permanent chair in the computer-science department; and

constructing a new milking facility.

Cheatham said improvements in the retention and graduation statistics and extramural
funding will be "big drives in the new formula for THEC (Tennessee Higher Education
Commission) funding.";

The dean said the college received a bid of $2.76 million to build the milking facility
at the MTSU farm property, located east of campus on Guy James Road near Halls Hill
Pike.

The math- and science-education Ph.D. and MTeach programs are partnerships with the
College of Education, Cheatham said. MTeach's goal is to recruit and retain quality
math and science teachers.

The college had more than 218 full-time faculty and 6,231 majors in 2009-10. This
fall, there are 192 faculty and 5,125 majors. The numbers do not include six military-science
faculty members, whose salaries are paid by the U.S. Army.

MTSU's chapter of The National Society of Collegiate Scholars received the organization's
gold award at the recent NSCS Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C.

The National Society of Collegiate Scholars is an honors organization for high-achieving
freshmen and sophomores with more than 270 student-run chapters at universities across
the United States. The MTSU chapter was founded in 2000.

For Sherice Evans, the NSCS national staff representative who works with MTSU's chapter
officers, the award comes as no surprise.

"The members of MTSU's chapter are amazing,"; Evans said. "They have gone above and
beyond by creating innovative programs and expanding and improving existing programs
and have provided an exceptional experience for their members. They have truly embraced
the ideals of NSCS.";

To achieve gold status, chapters are required to hold an induction ceremony for new
members, create a student mentoring program, hold campuswide events to support NSCS'
integrity initiative, create an on-campus membership-recruitment campaign and engage
a campus office in a chapter event.

"NSCS is a wonderful organization that gives lots of opportunities to its members,";
said MTSU senior Laendia Buchanan, president of the society. "We are very excited
to receive gold-star status. It is an honor,and I am proud to be president.";

Dr. Hilary Stallings, MTSU chapter adviser, commended the student group, noting that
they "work hard both in and out of the classroom. Their dedication to scholastics
and service is refreshing.";

The chapter will also receive a $250 chapter scholarship, and a letter will be sent
to MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee to commemorate its accomplishment.

NSCS chapters can attain one of four status levels: bronze, silver, gold and platinum.
Each level is determined based on the quantity and quality of events a chapter conducted
during the previous year. NSCS has more than 750,000 members in all 50 states, the
District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

Sixteen-year faculty member Dr. Preston MacDougall has accepted the call to serve
as interim chair in the Department of Chemistry for the current academic year, College
of Basic and Applied Sciences Dean Tom Cheatham said.

MacDougall, a professor, will lead the department in the absence of Dr. Earl Pearson,
who has had to step aside from his administrative duties because of family illness.
Pearson has been chair since 1998, when he came to MTSU.

"I feel honored to be named interim chair of the chemistry department at this key
moment in its history,"; MacDougall said. "Our participation in the new science Ph.D.
programs makes the future exciting, and the upcoming Centennial Celebration will give
us special opportunities to celebrate our past.";

"Dr. Preston MacDougall has been a chemistry faculty member since 1994 and has served
as the assistant chair,"; Cheatham said. "He is the PI (principal investigator) on
an $890,000 U.S. Department of Energy grant to study computational modeling of drug-resistant
bacteria. I am grateful to him for stepping in as interim chair in Dr. Pearson's absence.";

MacDougall earned his bachelor's degree in 1983 and a doctorate in education in '89,
both from McMaster University in Canada. He has participated in postdoctoral fellowships
at Texas A&M University and Los Alamos National Laboratory.

MacDougall's research interests in theoretical chemistry include the development
of quantum chemistry-based design tools for pharmacology and molecular modeling in
chemical education. Some of his research was performed with collaborators at the NASA Ames Research Center.

The Department of Chemistry has a combined 30 full-time and adjunct faculty members.
There are approximately 1,200 students majoring in chemistry.

MTSU students and staff who want to vote early in the 2010 midterm elections can
get free rides to the Rutherford County Election Commission Office on Murfreesboro's
Public Square via Raider Xpress.

The fall general election is Tuesday, Nov. 2. Early voting in Tennessee began Oct.
13 and continues through Thursday, Oct. 28.

The free shuttle rides are provided by the American Democracy Project at MTSU in
conjunction with the Division of Student Affairs, Center for Student Involvement and
Leadership, and the Division of Business and Finance, Event Coordination Department,
and Parking and Transportation Services. The shuttle schedule is:

Thursday, Oct. 21—3 p.m. pick-up in front of James Union Building; pick-up at the
square at 4:15 p.m. to return to the JUB;

Friday, Oct. 22—2:30 p.m. pick-up in front of the JUB; pick-up at the square at 3:45
p.m. to return to campus;

Monday, Oct. 25—10 a.m. pick-up in front of the JUB; pick-up at the square at 11:15
a.m. to return to campus;

Tuesday, Oct. 26—5 p.m. pick-up in front of the JUB; pick-up at the square at 6:15
p.m. to return to campus; and

Wednesday, Oct. 27—8:30 a.m. pick-up in front of the JUB; pick-up at the square at
9:45 a.m. to return to campus.

MTSU's Center for Environmental Education and National Project WET have created and
developed a new publication called "Discover Waters of Tennessee.";

Dr. Cindi Smith-Walters, the center's director, said the colorful "Discover Waters
of Tennessee"; booklet is another Center for Environmental Education project to help
increase stewardship by providing factual information about Tennessee's waters.

"Although targeted to a student audience, users of the booklet will include formal
and informal educators, stormwater program managers, watershed groups, citizen organizations,
parks and recreation, even the tourism industry and more,"; Smith-Walters said.

"Water-quality experts were consulted and aided in development and writing of the
booklet, so the Center for Environmental Education has strengthened and expanded upon
our already diverse group of partners,"; she added.

Approximately 85,000 booklets were printed and will be distributed through the center's
network of partners, Smith-Walters said.

A plus, she said, is that "Discover the Waters of Tennessee"; soon will have a link
on the center's website, www.tennesseewaterworks.com. The booklet also meets State Department of Education standards in science, language,
arts, social studies and mathematics.

All the ancillaries help to meet the stormwater permit goals for MTSU and the city
of Murfreesboro.

While supplies last, limited copies of the publication are available by calling 615-904-8575,
said Cynthia Allen, natural resources coordinator with the center.

The Center for Environmental Education, which is part of MTSU's biology department,
is located in the Fairview Building.

Oct. 24-30 is designated by the U.S. Senate as National Lead Poisoning Prevention
Week, and MTSU's Tennessee Alliance for Lead-safe Kids program wants people across
the state to know the risks and take precautions.

"The only way to know of lead exposure is through a simple blood test, and even low
levels of lead in a child's blood can be dangerous,"; said Leigh Woodcock, TALK/TN
LEAP East coordinator in Knoxville.

TN LEAP is the Tennessee Lead Elimination Action Program, which, like TALK, is administered
by MTSU.

"The target audience for TALK's lead-poisoning prevention efforts is parents, but
also anyone (child care or health care providers) who works with children under 6,";
Woodcock said.

Effects of childhood lead poisoning can include lowered IQ, developmental and growth
delays, learning disabilities, violent and aggressive behavior and coma or even death,
researchers have determined.

Unless they have been exposed to lead hazards, children should be tested at 12 and
24 months old. Parents and guardians should talk to their pediatrician or local health
officials about any concerns, Woodcock said.

Children can be exposed to lead through:

peeling and chipping paint in homes built before 1978;

lead dust from paint in homes built before 1978;

some older water pipes, mini-blinds, imported toys, hobbies, home remedies and jewelry;
and

exposure in utero, where lead can pass through the mother's bloodstream to her unborn
child.

"There is a great concern for lead poisoning from imported goods, and rightly so,
but many are unaware of the lead in their own homes that could poison their children,";
Woodcock said. "It's our goal at TALK and TN LEAP to help parents take the very simple
steps to protect their kids.";

In Tennessee, more than 1 million homes were built before 1978, increasing the likelihood
that lead-based paint hazards may exist, TALK and TN LEAP officials say.

Housing and Urban Development grant programs at MTSU can assist families in various
ways. TALK offers outreach and education about the dangers and prevention of childhood
lead poisoning, and TN LEAP has grant funding to help identify and clean up lead-based
paint hazards in pre-1978 homes of those who qualify.

Childhood lead poisoning is 100 percent preventable, TALK and TN LEAP officials say.
For information on how to protect your child or and request assistance, please call
865-244-4350 or visit www.mtsu.edu/talk.